Junk fishing tool



April 2, 1957 A. w. PEARSON JUNK FISHING TOOL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1951 INVENTOR,

A T TORNEV FIG. 2

A ril 2, 1957 A. w. PEARSON 2,787,327.

JUNK FISHING'TOOL 4 Filed Aug. 9, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 firlliur WPearso n INVENTOR,

A T TORNEV April 2, 1957 A. w. PEARSON 2,787,327

JUNK FISHING-TOOL Filed Aug; 9. 1951 s Sheets-Sheet s VENTOR,

Fri z u? M Peahsafr.

q l n m A TTORNEV JUNK FISHDIG TOOL Arthur W. Pearson, Edmond, Okla. Application August 9, 1951, Serial No. 241,058

2 Claims. (Cl. 166-99) The present invention relates to rotary well drilling, and particularly to a device for removing junk or debris from the well bottom.

During the drilling of an oil well by the rotary method, it often occurs that metal debris accumulates on the bottom of the well to offer an impediment to the drilling operation. In order to remove such debris, it is common practice to provide some sort of a tubular receptacle into which the junk may be washed by circulation of the drilling fluid.

Such a tool is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,169,922 which was issued to Notley on August 15, 1939. When such a tool is being run in an open hole, it is often desirable to first circulate fluid downwardly through the drilling string and through the tool in order to remove bridges or to clean the well bottom of detrital matter. After the tool is on bottom, the circulation must then be reversed so that the drilling fluid flows downwardly through the annular space outside of the drill string until it reaches the well bottom, from which it then flows upwardly through the device and drilling string to the earths surface. 7

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a junk fishing tool which operates by downward circulation of fluid through the drilling string, thus eliminating the necessity of reversing fluid flow in the well.

A further object is to provide a tool which is more positive in action, due to the fact that a greater jetting action of the fluid is obtained for lifting the debris off the well bottom, and for depositing it in the device for removal therewith.

This increased jetting action is obtained by confining the fluid flow to the vicinity of the junk pieces at the well bottom.

An additional object is to provide a tool in which the direction of fluid flow is reversible within the tool only, thus eliminating the necessity of reversing the entire fluid columns in the well.

Another object is to provide a tool of this class which is simple to operate.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying three sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a bore hole or well, with the device of the present invention being shown therein in side elevation;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the device;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a bore hole adjacent the bottom thereof, the device of the present invention being shown therein in vertical section, and the view being taken with the device in condition for fluid circulation downwardly through the bore thereof;

Figures 4 and 5 are horizontal sectional views taken substantially along the lines 4-4 and 5-5 of Fig. 2, respectively;

I Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view, similar to Fig. 3, but showing the sleeve-valve, which forms a portion of nited States Patent 6 2,787,327 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 the device, after it has been moved to its lower position, the section through the device having been taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section detailing the sliding sleeve-valve, the dotted lines indicating the lowermost possible position thereof;

Figure 8 is an enlarged exploded perspective view detailing the sleeve-valve;

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Fig. 3;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view looking upwardly into the bottom end of the device;

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 12-12 of Fig. 11;

Figure 13 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 13-13 of Fig. 3; and,

Figure 14 is a perspective View of one junk trapping unit.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a bore hole or well in the earth, and 2 indicates the bottom of the well. The reference numeral 3 indicates the lowermost section of a pipe string which extends upwardly in the well to the earths surface.

The device of the present invention is adapted to be threadedly connected to the lower end of the pipe section 3, to form a continuation thereof, and whereby it may be lowered into the well 1. A swage-nipple or sub 4 acts to connect the device to the pipe section 3 (Fig. l).

The device, per se, of the present invention consists substantially of a tubate body 10 having an axial through bore 11 with threads 12 in its upper end for connecting the lower end of the sub 4. As best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the exterior surface of the body 10 is formed with longitudinally extending ribs 13 which form intermediate channels 15. The ribs 13 are each hollow, having a longitudinal channel or passage 14, extending downwardly from a point adjacent its upper end to the lower end of the rib. As best illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, the outer wall surface of each channel 14 is provided with an inwardly curved fluid deflecting surface 16. Adjacent the upper end of each channel 15, the wall of the body 10 is provided with a through perforation or fluid outlet port 17. The function of the ports 17 will be more fully described hereinbelow. The lower annular end edge of the body 10 is provided with slight teeth or serrations 18, for a purpose also more fully described hereinbelow.

Adjacent its upper end, the wall of the body 10 has an annular row of ports 19, each of which leads from the axial bore of the body to one of the longitudinal passages 14 formed in the body wall.

- Slidably disposed in the bore of the body 16, there is provided a tubate sleeve valve 21 (Fig. 8). Exteriorly, the valve 21 has one or more resilient metal piston rings 22, which are imbedded in suitable annular grooves 23 formed in the outer surface of the valve. The outer surface of the valve 21 is also provided with an elongated slot 24 having an abrupt upper end 25. The slot 24 tends upwardly from the lower end of the valve 21.

Interiorly, the upper end of the valve 21 has a cup elernent 26 having a lower axial opening 27 which is niaterially reduced in diameter. The upper annular rim or lip 28 of the cup 26 is made integral with the upper annular end of the valve 21. A soft metal shear-pin 29 passes through the wall of the sleeve and through the wall of the body it), to retain the sleeve adjacent the upper end of the body and in position to close the ports 19. One or more of the sheanpins 29 may be provided.

Below thelower-end-ofithe sleevevalve21,when the valve is pinned in place as illustrated in Fig. 3, the bore of the body 10 is, providedwith an.,upwardly facing an-. nular shoulder30 which "acts as ,a stop for limiting the downward movement of thevalve 21 in thebody, when the pins 29 are sheared, as more fully'described hereinbelow. The sleeve valve 21 is provided with-a horizontal row of ports 31 which are spaced toregister with the outlet ports 17 in the body 10, when the valve is at the lower end of its travel.

The wall of the body 10 has a threaded stud or guide 33 passing therethrough and entering the slot. 24 in the outer surface of thesleeve valve to prevent axial rotation of the valve during its sliding movement in the body (Fig.

Adjacent its lower open end, theflbody has. two vertically spaced debris or junk trapping units 35 and 36 which are positively anchored in the bore of the body.

The upper trapping unit 35. consists substantially of a tubular metal sleeve 37 having a gradually reduced upper end portion 38, and having a lower outwardly projecting annular flange 39 which fit the bore of the body, and which is anchored therein by a plurality of horizontal pins 40. r

The lower trapping unit 36 consists substantially of an annular metal sleeve 41, having a plurality of upwardly projecting and inwardly converging spring strips or arms 42 anchored thereto at their lower ends. The sleeve 41 is positively anchored in the bore of the body by a shoulder 43 (best shown in Figs. 3 and 6), and a snap ring (not shown).

While it is not, in all cases, positively necessary that both of the trapping units 35 and 36 be provided, it has been found that the upper unit 35 is advantageous in trapping smaller particles or pieces of the debris, while the lower trapping unit 36 acts to retain larger chunks which are too large to pass through the orifice in theupper. trap 35. The dotted lines in Fig. 6 illustrate debris pieces which have been trapped by the units 35 and 36; The smaller debris pieces are indicated by the reference numeral 44, while the larger pieces are indicated by the numeral 45.

Operation When the device is to be run in the well, the sleeve pulley valve 21 is anchored in the upper end of the body 10 by the shear-pins 29, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the valve is therefore positioned to close the lateral ports 17 in the body wall. The body 10 is connected to the lower end of the pipe string by the sub 4, so that bore of the string is in direct communication with the bore of the body.

Should any earth bridges or obstructions be encountered during thelowering of the device and the string into the well 1, rotation of the string will cause the teeth 18 to drill through the obstruction, and fluid may be forcibly circulated downwardly through the string and the device to wash away detrital matter. When the lower end of the device reaches the well bottom '2, the pipe string is rotated sufliciently to positively seat the teeth 18 in the surface of the well bottom 2. Anydebris or junk then resting upon the well bottom will be surrounded by thebottom open end of the body 10. The tool is then in position to be operated to fluid flush the debris pieces upwardly into the bore 110i the body.

This fluid flushing operation is accomplished in the following described manner.

A metal ball 46 is dropped into the pipe string at the earths surface, and gravitates through the fluid therein until it seats in the opening 27 of the cup 26 of the sleeve valve 21 and closes the same. Pump pressure is then applied to the fluid in the pipe string to shear the pins 29 and to force the sleeve valve downwardly to seat upon the annular shoulder 39. This downward movement of the valve causes the upperports 19 to be bared'for entry 4 of thefluid through the ports into the vertical passages 14 in the wall of the body 10, and at the same time, causes the ports 31 in the valve 21 to register with the lower ports 17 in the wall of the body 10.

Downward pump pressure on the fluid in the pipe string is continued, and the fluid is thereby forced to flow downwardly through the passages 14' and to be discharged in the form of downwardly and inwardly directed jet streams on to the wall bottom 2 within the confines of the lower annular end of the body 10. The arcuate'surfaces 16 at the lower ends of the passages 14 cause the downward and inward directional flow of the jet streams. The debris pieces are entrained in the flowing fluid, and are lifted thereby into the bore of the body 10. The upwardly traveling fluid in the bore of the body 10 escapes from the body through the registered ports 31 and 17, and thereby reaches the annular space in the well 1 which surrounds the pipe string.

When the fluid has been thus circulated a suflicient time to insure the lifting of the debris pieces above the trapping units 35 and 36, the pump pressure is discontinued, and the pipe string with the device thereon is raised from the well. As soon as the upward flow of the fluid-in the body 10 ceases, the debris pieces 44 and 45 will settle upon the trapping units 35 and 36, and will therefore be raised from the well with the device.

When the device is out of the bore hole, it is disconnected from the sub 4, and is inverted, to remove the sleeve valve 21' and the smaller debris pieces 44. The lower trapping unit 36 is then released from within the body 10 and the unit 36 and the larger debris pieces 45 are thus removed from the body.

It is pointed out that the orifice in the upper end of the upper trapping unit 35 is of greater area than the combined flow area of the passages 14, and therefore, this orifice does not cause any detrimental obstruction to the upward flow of the fluid in the body 10. It is also pointed out that the combined area of thefoutlet ports (31-17) is greater than the flow area of the passages 14, and therefore, they cause no detrimental obstruction to the outward, flow of the fluid from the body 10.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. On a pipe string for conveying pump pressure fluid, a fluid circulating junk-fishing tool, comprising: an elongated tubular body having aninternally threaded upper end for connection with said pipe string and having a serrated lower end, thewall of said body having external longitudinally disposed circumferentially spacedapart recesses intermediate its ends defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart ribs, each said rib having a longitudinal fluid passage opening inwardly at its lower end into the bore of saidbody and communicating with the bore of said body adjacent its upper end, said body having spaced-apart ports through its wall between said ribs and below the upper ends of said passages, the upper end portion of said'body havingran enlarged bore terminating in an annular shoulder intermediate the ends of said body; a tubular sleeve slidably mounted in, said enlarged bore, said sleeve having a ported wall for mating with said ports of sai'dbody upon. downward movement of said sleeve, saidsleeve having a centrally perforated cup elementin: its upper end portion forming a fluid passage valve seat, said. sleeve normally covering the upper end openings. of said passages and uncovering said openings and mating said sleeve ports with'said body ports when the lower end of said sleeveis seated on said shoulder; a shear pin extended through the wall of said sleeve'a nd said body for normally holding said sleeve against downward movement; a ball capable of entering the upper end or the body bore and traveling to the valve seat by gravity for closing said seat, thereby shearing said pin and moving said sleeve downwardly against said shoulder by the pressure of said fluid and diverting the fluid flow downwardly through said passages, upwardly through the bore of said bod and outwardly through said mated ports; expansion rings carried by the periphery of said sleeve for sealing the same with the bore of said body; and a junk trapping unit carried by the bore of said body adjacent its lower end.

2. On a pipe string for conveying pressure fluid, a fluid circulating junk fishing tool comprising: an elongated tubular body having an internally threaded upper end for connection with said pipe string, and having a serrated lower end surface, the wall of said body having a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially disposed fluid passages therethrough opening inwardly at their lower ends and communicating with the bore of said body adjacent its upper end, said body having spaced-apart ports through its wall disposed between said longitudinal passages and below the upper ends of the same, the upper end portion of said body having an enlarged bore terminating in an annular shoulder intermediate the ends of said body; a tubular sleeve slidably mounted in said enlarged bore, said sleeve having a ported wall for mating with said ports of said body upon downward movement of said sleeve, said sleeve having a centrally perforated cup element in its upper end portion forming a fluid passage valve seat, said sleeve normally covering the upper end openings of said passages and uncovering said openings and mating said sleeve ports and said body ports when the lower end of said sleeve is seated on said shoulder, said sleeve having a vertically disposed slot in the outer surface of its lower end portion; a guide stud extended through the wall of said body and into the slot of said sleeve for preventing rotation of the sleeve relative to the body when the sleeve is moved downwardly; a shear pin extended through the wall of said sleeve and said body for normally holding said sleeve against downward movement; a ball capable of entering the upper end of the body and traveling to the valve seat by gravity for closing said seat, thereby shearing said pin and moving said sleeve downwardly against said shoulder by the pressure of said fluid and diverting the fluid flow downwardly through said passages, upwardly through the bore of said body, and outwardly through said mated ports; expansion rings carried by the periphery of said sleeve for sealing the same with the bore of said body; and a junk trapping unit carried by the bore of said body adjacent its lower end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,968,282 Cavins July 31, 1934 2,220,989 Brauer Nov. 12, 1940 2,318,885 Osmun May 11, 1943 2,550,228 Costin Apr. 24, 1951 2,556,849 Nolley et a1 June 12, 1951 2,645,290 Fortenberry July 13, I953 

